Just Come Home
by rocket-queen98
Summary: Set five years after Afterbirth - Tate has been banished to the basement, too ashamed to come out. But one day, Violet finds him screaming in the basement, and comforts him, unknowingly causing him to have false hope and believe that she still returns his feelings. What is she going to do? Give into the man that she still, deep down, loves or continue to lie to herself?


**Sweet as honey**

**I'll live forever**

**Pure as first love**  
**Just come home**

**I hold on to you like the death of angel**  
**And I hold on to you with all the life that's in me**

**And I hold on to you like the death of an angel**  
**And I hold on to you with all the hope I have left**

_X_

_"__I'll wait. Forever if I have to."_

Those simple seven words had been haunting Tate for the past five years. A long, lonely five years to be exact. Five years of him hiding in his corner in the basement, rocking back and forth as he tried to keep himself somewhat sane. Five years of listening to Violet laugh with her family, laughing without him. Five years without touching her, holding her, kissing her, watching her sleep. Five years of self-loathing and darkness, his mind replaying all the horrible that he'd done.

But worst of all, five years of waiting.

The only regular company he had was Nora, but she wasn't all there and would always complain about her wants but sometimes she would comfort him, her moods could change so easily. Now and then, Moira would visit him to check up on him, she would answer him when he asked about Violet, and if she had mentioned him. The answer was always no. Ben had visited him a few times and they would chat, mostly about what was going on inside his head, but he could tell that it was out of pity, and Ben would have to put a lid on his anger, no matter how much Tate apologized for what he'd done.

He couldn't do anymore, if he could go back in time and change what he did, he would. But there was no possible way of doing that. He'd apologized to every person he had hurt in the house, and even though they still hated him with a vengeance, they accepted since they were stuck in the house for eternity. They also did it out of some sort of pity after hearing what happened with Violet, but to Tate, it still counted.

Everything he did, he did for a reason. He promised Nora a baby, he did his best to give that to her. She was the only mother figure he had, he would've done anything for her. He didn't want her to hurt anymore, he wanted to heal her pain. He thought he was doing something good, something that would fix him inside.

Everything he did, he did for Violet. He just wanted her to be happy, all he wanted was her. She couldn't see that, she refused to see that he loved her so much, that he would kill for her. To Tate, that was what real love was, you would do anything for the other person, do anything to protect them. Now that Violet was gone, the voices were back and they were worse than before. They refused to rest and leave him alone, the only person who could soothe that was Violet.

_"__She's never going to forgive you."_

"Please, stop...please."

_"__Your nothing to her, she never loved you. She pitied you!"_

"Your LYING, your wrong. S-She told me, she did!"

_"__Your a monster...nothing more, nothing less. Why would she love a thing like you?"_

"GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! JUST STOP!"

Tate let out a loud howl, falling back against the brick wall behind him before slumping down to the floor, pulling at his hair like it was the cure get rid of the screaming inside of his head. He cried out in pain when his head bumped against the wall, running his hands over his face as he sobbed loudly. All he could feel was pain, and he couldn't get rid of it, no matter how hard he tried. He was so tired, and he couldn't sleep, his mind wouldn't rest. The last time he got a good sleep was with Violet, but he knew that there was no chance of that ever happening again.

"Stop! Please, please, please, please..."

He began to chant to himself in a whisper, closing his tired eyes and buried his face in his hands, breathing slowly. He focused on the dripping pipe across the basement, watching as drops fell to the cemented floor as he tried to calm himself down. He didn't notice the sound of feet stepping down the basement staircase, stopping at the last step.

"Tate?"

His movements and chanting came to a sharp halt when a soft voice entered the room. His head snapped up and eyes landed on Violet, who was standing at the bottom of the staircase, leaning against it. Her arms were protectively crossed against her chest as she eyed him almost warily, like he was a creepy stranger. Tate almost sobbed again, that was what he was to her now. Nothing but a stranger. He was shocked to see her there, all he wanted to do was run over to her and embrace her again, kiss her because to him, it's been forever.

_But she isn't real, they never are._

"Tate?"

Her voice got louder when he didn't answer her and she stepped a little closer, making sure to keep a great deal of distance from him and he narrowed his eyes. The other fake Violet's never moved, they would just stay still until he came to them, then vanish into the air, laughing at him. She looked real, and she smelled like coconut, like the Violet he knew. Wiping his tears away, and pulling his legs into his chest protectively, Tate raised his head and finally met her gaze. The minute their eyes met, Tate noticed that the voices in his head stop.

"Vi?"

_She's here, it's really her!_

Violet flinched at the nickname but stayed still,"I heard you screaming,"

Tate's head slightly dropped after finding out that she wasn't there for any other reason. He nodded, his tears threatening to spill but he held them back, not wanting her to run off again. He wiped his tears away roughly, clearing his throat. She whispered his name again, and he obeyed, looking up at her again before speaking. She nodded, turning back to the stairs, and slowly began to make her way up them.

"Oh...I-I'm sorry, i'll try and keep quiet."

Tate moved back against the wall, biting his lip hard as his body began to shake again. Violet let out a sigh, stopping on the third step, before moving back around and stepping down them. She felt sort of upset to see Tate crying, and was instantly disgusted with herself for feeling such a thing. She hated to see him cry, even though he deserved a lot more pain than that. She hated him but she couldn't help but feel pulled towards Tate. So, she hesitantly made her way towards his shadow, watching him as he rocked back and forth. She opened her mouth, but then soon shut it again when she realized that she didn't know what to say to him.

"Tate?"

He looked up at her, his eyes bloodshot, like he'd been crying for years. He thought that Violet left, but here she was, standing only inches from him. Tate stayed still, not knowing what to do, he didn't want to scare her off, but at the same time, all he wanted was to have her back in his arms again.

_She doesn't want me near her. I disgust her._

Then he began sobbing again, curling into himself, pulling wildly at his hair again as he roared. Violet jumped, shocked at this quick mood change but still stayed near him. Then her hand, shaking, began to softly untangle his fingers from his blonde locks. He instantly let go, anything to make her stay just a bit longer. Her touch immediately calmed his body and warmed him, closing his eyes contently when she held his hand.

"Vi, i'm so-"

Violet sat down next to him, hushing him quietly, scooting back against the wall behind them,"Shhh, don't talk..please."

Tate nodded, moving closer to her, making sure to move slowly. She looked up at him, raising her free hand to wipe his tears away, and his head dropped to her shoulder, enjoying the simple touch. The voices left his head, backing off as soon as Violet unknowingly scared them off. Tate buried his face in her cardigan, breathing in the scent that he hadn't forgotten in five long years, as she ran her fingers over his face. Soon his eyes began to feel heavy, and he soon lost the fight against sleep.

After making sure that Tate was asleep, Violet slowly moved away from his grasp on her, noticing the uncomfortable look that instantly crawled it's way onto his face. She stayed there for a few moments, just watching his sleep, wishing that she could see what was going on inside his head. Then she made her way up the staircase, closing the door behind her quietly, careful not to disturb him.

She quickly began to walk to her bedroom, but bumped into Moira, who was looking at her sternly,"You don't know what you've just done don't you, Miss Violet?"

"What are you going on about? He was screaming, I jus-"

Moira raised her hand, cutting the girl off, glancing towards the basement door. Her eyes shut for a minute before she opened them again.

"You should have left him, Miss Violet, like you have all these years. You've just given him false hope, something that he was hanging onto. He will wake up and think that you've come back to him."

Violet's eyes widened,"No, I just...what do I do?"

"Cut him off again. If you don't want to be with him, do the same thing you did five years ago and mean it. Please."

Moira gave her a warm smile before making her way to the kitchen, leaving a speechless Violet behind. She stayed there for a while, thoughts racing through her mind before she started towards her bedroom, her thoughts still on the man that was in the basement, dreaming about her.

She wasn't sure if she was ready to let go.


End file.
